


Compass Rose

by annachibi



Category: Victoria (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, F/M, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Vicbourne
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-21
Updated: 2016-11-21
Packaged: 2018-09-01 09:18:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 657
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8618725
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/annachibi/pseuds/annachibi
Summary: Vicbourne soulmate AU prompt - the one where you have a compass on your body that leads you to your soulmate (requested by allrustandstardust)





	

Lord Melbourne had gotten used to not having a soulmate compass. For several years after he was old enough to understand what it meant, he would check his entire body for some evidence of one whenever he had the time and privacy to do so. Eventually, he’d had to accept the fact that he just didn’t have one. It hadn’t stopped him from living his life, though in the back of his mind he wondered if that was the cause of his more-or-less failed marriage and all the misfortunes that had come with it. Still, he made the best of what he had. It had been many years since he had last checked himself like he used to.

In any case, he had been happy recently, so why bother? Certainly there were complications and difficulties in his life, especially when it came to politics and Queen Victoria, but he was willing to accept those things as the price he paid for feeling useful and enjoying the queen’s company. If he could only persuade her to limit their time together for a little while, just until the rumors and speculation about them died down, then things would be much more calm. In fact, he was in the middle of writing her a letter explaining this when he heard someone walk into his study. He huffed in annoyance, as he had explicitly requested that no one come in.

“I’m not to be disturbed!” he said, putting down his pen before turning to see who had dared to intrude unannounced. When he saw it was the queen, he jumped out of his seat. “Your Majesty!”

Victoria dismissed her chaperone and closed the door as he tried to straighten up his clothing, painfully aware of how under-dressed he was at the moment. He didn’t even have his neckcloth on!

“As you would not visit me, I decided to visit you,” she said, chin held high. She would not be deterred, that much was clear.

“Forgive my disarray; I-I was not expecting visitors,” he stammered, gesturing vaguely at the book- and paper-covered mess that was his study.

“Evidently,” she replied, her blue eyes wide, though she did not seem scandalized by the state of things. He couldn’t help but chuckle. She, too, seemed amused.

He was about to suggest they sit down when her expression suddenly changed and she came closer toward him, staring at his neck. He blushed slightly, tugging his collar up to cover his bare skin, but she shook her head and reached up with her tiny gloved hand to pull the garment away from one side.

“Ma’am?” he said nervously, only standing still because of the incredulous look in her eyes.

She stepped to one side and then the other, eyes trained on the same spot on his neck. “Y-Your compass, it’s…”

“I beg your pardon? I’m afraid I don’t have a compass.”

“You most certainly do,” she said, her fingers hovering just above his skin where one might take his pulse. “It’s right here, and it is… it is pointing to _me_.”

His heart skipped a beat at her words before he pulled away and rushed to one of his mirrors. There, on the left side of his throat, just above his collarbone, was a soulmate compass. The design was simple with the outline of a feather at the back end of the principle arrow, all done in black as if someone had drawn with ink on his skin. This, however, moved according to where his soulmate was located. He watched as Victoria came to join him by the mirror, his arrow pointing steadily toward her all the while.

“How is this possible?”

“I don’t know, but…” She turned so her back faced the mirror, then untied her bonnet and took it off, lifting her hair so that the nape of her neck was exposed. “Where is mine pointing?”

He could hardly speak the words. “T-To _me_.”

 


End file.
